Cruel Enforcer by Maggie Cole

25

Kora

I haven't been homeall week, except to pack more clothes and other items. Every free moment, Sergey and I are together.

Something has shifted in our relationship. It goes beyond our exclusivity conversation. There's something different in his eyes when he looks at me. Sometimes it's painful. I can't put my finger on why or what is causing it. I dig with caution, but he closes up and refocuses on whatever we're doing, ignoring my inquiry to find out what is hurting him.

I step out of the closet so Sergey can zip my dress. He just stepped out of the shower. A towel wraps low around his waist. He stares at his phone. His back is toward me, displaying his beautifully inked skin.

I wrap my arms around his waist. The moment my lips touch his back, he stiffens, but he no longer tries to escape me anymore. It takes several kisses before his hand covers mine and he relaxes.

"You should go to the rehearsal dinner like this. I can brag to all the ladies about how you're mine when they get wet panties."

He spins, grinning, then looks at my pale-pink dress and groans. "Are you trying to make me think about licking your pretty pussy all night?"

I wiggle my eyebrows. "I have a hot-pink one for the wedding."

The day after he returned from wherever he went when Obrecht called him, packages arrived all day. I'm not sure when he cleaned the dungeon out, but he replaced everything with pink items. There were new floggers and paddles, handcuffs and other restraints, and tons of vibrating things. Some I had seen before and some were new to me but nothing sharp or scary looking. The hot-pink sheets and new pillows he didn't put on the dungeon bed until later in the day when two new mattresses showed up. One went in the dungeon and one in his bedroom. Pale-pink sheets and pillows replaced the black ones in his bedroom. New matching headboards and frames with pewter metal replaced the identical black ones in each room. At the same time the beds were being changed out, a few of his employees showed up. They removed the iron grate bolted to the dungeon wall and put an identical one up. On the way out, one of his employees took Sergey aside. He was quiet, but I still heard him. "Boss, can I buy the old one off you?"

"No. You can have it. Enjoy."

"Thanks, man!"

I refrained from laughing out loud and asked, "Why are you replacing everything?"

"You're pink and light, not black and evil."

I wasn't sure how to reply, but he left the room to direct the movers. That was about a week ago.

Sergey eyes my pink dress. "Naughty vixen." He gives me a chaste kiss and spins me. He moves my hair over my shoulder and kisses my neck while slowly zipping the dress.

I turn back and put my arms around his neck. "Are you going to dance with me tomorrow night?"

"Is that your way of asking if I know how?"

"No!" I say, laughing.

"You can thank Maksim for my dancing skills tomorrow night."

"What do you mean?"

He gives me a boyish grin. "When I was eighteen, he dragged my brothers, Adrian, Obrecht, and me to dance lessons."

"What kind?"

"We each had to pick. It took a year for all the lessons."

I bite my smile. "Really?"

"Yep."

"What did you pick?"

"Hip-hop."

A laugh escapes.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You know how to hip-hop dance?"

His face slightly flushes. "And tango, merengue, salsa...all the main ballroom ones."

"So, the Ivanovs can all dance?"

"I'll let you be the judge of that."

I slide my hand under his towel and palm his ass. "I'm feeling a bit intimidated."

He leans into my ear. "Dancing is all about submitting and letting my body lead yours. You'll be okay, my lapa." He pulls back, and a cocky expression appears on his handsome face.

I squeeze his ass. "Get changed, or we'll be late. And I anxiously await the Ivanov hip-hop moves tomorrow night."

"Focus on Obrecht. Give him a few shots, and he'll take over."

"Well, I wouldn't want to miss that," I say in amusement. The few times I've seen Obrecht, he's been in a tailor-made suit without a tie and a few buttons unfastened, his blue eyes laser-focused on whatever is going on, and his neck and chest tattoos on display. If Hailee weren't so against dating a bad boy, I would tell her to hop on him and find out what's underneath his panty-melting, serious exterior.

Sergey walks into his closet then comes back out in a black designer suit and maroon shirt.

"You're one sexy man," I say and straighten his collar even though it doesn't need to be. We kiss then leave and get to Boris and Nora's rehearsal dinner.

Sergey and I walk close together, with his arm around my waist, and everything feels perfect. For the first time in my life, I feel like I belong to someone. He seems to love me unconditionally, no matter my flaws. Traits I have that other men couldn't handle, he encourages, telling me how much I turn him on and praising me for my ability to take charge and fight for things I believe in or those who can't. And every day, he showers me in his love, reminding me I'm his and he's mine.

I've never walked next to a man and felt proud to be his until now.

He releases me when we get to the back of the restaurant where Maksim, Aspen, Dmitri, and Anna are. We all hug and exchange greetings then Sergey tugs me back to him.

It's the same for his brothers. There's a possessive nature they all hold with their women. And Aspen and Anna appear as happy as me to be thoroughly cherished by their men.

Adrian and Obrecht join us. I don't see Skylar, and my heart drops. I haven't talked to her since the day of the dress fitting. She's been short with her replies and hasn't answered my calls, sending messages saying she's tied up with work.

The O'Malleys are here. I spot Liam across the room, alone. Hailee has also avoided my attempts to talk. Nora invited all three of us to the wedding, so I make a mental note to call Skylar and Hailee tonight to see if they are going solo or with Adrian or Liam.

Boris and Nora come in. The room gets louder, but Boris's face has an expression I've never seen on him before. He beelines directly to us. He pulls the Ivanov men to the corner.

I glance at the front of the room. Nora looks pale, and her family is circling her. "What do you think is going on?" I ask Aspen and Anna.

They both shake their heads with worried looks on their faces.

A few minutes pass. Boris bolts to the front of the restaurant. The Ivanov men follow him. Adrian and Obrecht leave. Boris says something to Nora, and Maksim steps between Liam and Boris.

Boris leaves the restaurant. Sergey, Maksim, and Dmitri pull Aspen, Anna, and me separately aside.

Dark, cold eyes stare at me. "I have to leave. Stay and have fun then go directly to my place," Sergey instructs.

"What's happening?"

"Don't ask me questions. If I'm not back in time, go to the wedding tomorrow, and I'll meet you there."

"What?"

"Kora, tell me you'll do as I say," he barks.

"Okay."

He sighs. "I'm sorry." He pulls me into him and kisses me. "I love you."

Am I going to see him again?

"Sergey—"

He puts his finger over my lips. "Be the strong woman I know you are right now. Nora will need it."

I stand straighter and inhale deeply.

He smiles. "That's my lapa." He pecks me on the lips. "I love you." He leaves with his brothers, and Skylar walks in.

"Hey. Have you seen Adrian? Bowmen was on one of his kicks and kept me late."

"You need a different boss, but they just left."

She scrunches her face. "What do you mean left?"

I shake my head. "Boris walked in, and they all just left. Sergey said if he's not back, to meet him at the church tomorrow."

She pulls out her phone and checks it. She mumbles, "Something came up. I'll meet you at the wedding tomorrow." Her eyes widen, and she drills them into mine. "What is going on, Kora?"

"I honestly don't know."

Aspen joins us. "Skylar, you look beautiful."

"Where did they go?" Skylar demands.

Aspen shakes her head. "I don't know."

"Please tell me. I can't handle not knowing anymore."

"We honestly don't know, Skylar," I say.

"Is this normal for you? Always being in the dark?"

Aspen's eyes widen. "No. It's not an everyday occurrence. And Maksim doesn't keep me in the dark. He tells me what I need to know. The things he deems dangerous for me to know, he doesn't reveal."

"And you're okay with it?" Skylar asks.

Aspen sticks her chin out. "Yes. He would die for me. All he thinks about is how to protect and love me. So, while I worry about his safety and don't enjoy him not being here with me, I know he wouldn't have left if it weren't important. And when he returns, whatever is safe to tell me, he will."

Skylar turns to me. "And you? You feel the same?"

"Yes. I don't like it, but there isn't any other choice, except not to be with Sergey. I won't choose that option."

She closes her eyes. "What have we all gotten involved in?"

Aspen nervously glances at me. She softly asks, "Have you talked to Adrian about this?"

Skylar sarcastically laughs then she turns away and covers her face.

Aspen and I exchange a horrified glance, and I pull Skylar into me. "Hey."

"I need to go."

"Okay, let's go."

She sniffles and shakes her head. "No, you stay."

"Aspen, you're staying with Nora tonight?"

"Yes, that's always been the plan."

"Okay. We'll see you tomorrow. Skylar, you come stay with me at Sergey's tonight."

"No, really—"

"It's not up for discussion. Let's go."

We hug Aspen, sneak out the side door, and hop in a cab. We say nothing until we get inside Sergey's.

"Have you spoken to Hailee?" Skylar asks.

"No. I was going to call both of you when I got back from dinner tonight."

"So you don't know if she's going to the wedding with Liam or not?"

"No." I pull out my phone. "Let's call her."

She doesn't answer, so I text her.

Me: Skylar and I are having a slumber party at Sergey's. Want to join us?

Hailee: No thanks. I can't.

Me: Hailee, we're sorry about the last time we saw you. Are you going to hate us forever?

Hailee: I never said I hated you.

Me: I'm calling. Answer.

I hit dial and put it on speaker. It goes to voicemail.

"She's never held a grudge before," Skylar says.

Hailee: I can't talk right now.

Me: Why not?

Hailee: I can't. I'll see you tomorrow.

Me: Hailee, why can't you come over or talk?

Hailee: I need to be alone and think. I'm turning my phone off now. I'll see you tomorrow.

Me: Okay. We love you.

Hailee: Love you, too. Night.

Me: Night.

"Twenty bucks says she still doesn't know if she's going with Liam," Skylar says.

"Please tell me she told him by now."

Skylar shrugs. "She had to tell him something, or she would have been there tonight."

We spend the rest of the night watching rom-coms, ignoring the elephant in the room, and glancing at our phones for unsent messages.

When morning comes, we work out, eat a small breakfast, and get ready for the wedding. When it's the last minute to leave without being late, we get in a cab and go to Skylar's for her to put her dress on.

"Let's go see Nora," I say when the guys still aren't in the church. My insides are shaking. I'm past the point of worrying about Sergey. Skylar looks slightly ill, too.

I straighten up. "We need to look happy for Nora. Come on." We find the room Nora's in and step inside.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! What did you do to your dress?" her auntie shrieks in horror.

Skylar and I cover our mouths. Nora had the seamstress remove the high neckline and create an off-the-shoulder look with her dress.

"I think she looks stunning," Aspen says.

"Me, too," Anna agrees.

Her auntie steps forward and gapes at her chest. "You have way too much cleavage for church."

"It could be a lot worse," I interject.

"Did you ever look at the tabloids? The women on there have much more hanging out than Nora," Skylar adds.

"What about my sleeves? They look great, don't they?" Nora asks, biting her smile.

Her auntie glances at the sleeves. "Yes, they are beautiful. Let me try and find you a shawl."

"No. She's not wearing a shawl," I firmly state.

Jesus, who does this woman think she is? Nora warned us, but jeez.

Her auntie slowly turns and throws me daggers. "Who are you, exactly?"

Here we go.

Kill her with kindness for Nora's sake.

I step farther inside and hold out my hand. "I'm sorry to be rude. I'm Kora Kilborn."

Her face scrunches. She takes my hand. "I'm sorry, your name sounds familiar. Have we met before?"

"No. I would remember you," I sweetly say and force a smile.

"She's Chicago's top divorce attorney," Skylar blurts out.

Her auntie's eyes widen. She snaps her fingers. "You were Mary Kelly's attorney, weren't you?"

"Sorry, I can't discuss my clients."

"You were. You took her husband to the cleaners."

I give her a tight-lipped smile.

"Did any of you see Boris?" Nora asks.

"No," her auntie says.

Skylar and I shake our heads. My stomach flips again.

Her auntie continues, "You did an excellent job. Her ex-husband is a rat. She said you found assets she didn't even know they had. He was begging for her to take him back."

"Tell me she didn't go back," Skylar says.

"Do you know Mary, too?" her auntie asks.

"No. But he sounds like an ass."

"Oh, he is."

Her auntie goes on and on, and I somehow manage to get her out of the room and away from Nora.

Twenty minutes until the wedding, and not one of the guys are here.

Where are they?

Nora's auntie is saying something. Darragh comes up and pulls her away.

"Thank God. That woman is a nightmare," Skylar mutters.

"That's an understatement. Hailee better think twice about getting with Liam. His murder wrap is nothing compared to her," I quietly add.

Skylar snickers.

I glance around, and Maksim's face catches me from the window.

I grab Skylar's arm. I see Adrian, Obrecht, and Dmitri through the window.

Where are Sergey and Boris?

Skylar sighs in relief then seems to realize I'm still waiting to see Sergey. She puts her arm around my waist. "Come on."

My voice cracks. "Where is he?"

"Let's go find out."

I put my hand on my stomach, trying to stop it from twisting. The closer we get, the sicker I feel. Sergey is nowhere.

"Where is he?" I ask, interrupting the conversation the Ivanovs are having in aggressive Russian.

Maksim hesitates.

"Tell me where he is," I demand, trying to hold in my tears.

Dmitri grabs me by the waist and leads me toward the side door. "He's in here."

"What happened to him?"

"He's unharmed. He just...he needed a minute." He guides me inside and stops outside another door. He knocks. "Sergey."

There's no answer, and my heart pounds harder.

"Dmitri, why isn't he answering?"

"Sergey," Dmitri growls, pounding on the door.

Time seems to stop. Dmitri looks up then reaches for the key above the door and unlocks it.

Dmitri and I rush in.

Sergey's naked, shaking, and staring at his back in the three-way mirror. He doesn't even flinch when we come in. It's like he's in a trance.

"Shit," Dmitri mutters and puts his arm out to stop me from getting any closer. He barks, "Sergey! It's over!"

"Get out!" I shove past him.

"Kora!"

I spin and enunciate, "Get. Out!"

He hesitates. "I'll be right outside the door." He leaves, and I bolt the lock.

I cautiously approach Sergey. I reach for his back, and he flinches. His jaw spasms faster. His breath is labored, and his eyes glisten.

I wrap my arms around his waist and put my head on his back. "Baby, come back to me."

Dmitri said he was unharmed. How is this unharmed?

I kiss his back, focusing on his scars and holding him as tightly as possible. "I love you. I need you to come back, Sergey."

He puts his trembling hand over mine and caresses me with his thumb. He squeezes his eyes. "It's over."

"What is?"

"The devil is dead."

"Who's the devil?"

"Zamir."

Zamir who?

Petrov.

Oh God! He did this to him?

Zamir is dead.

I move in front of Sergey, not releasing him. I slide my hands up his chest and onto his cheeks, forcing him to look at me.

He blinks hard, as if he's trying to figure out who I am. His eyes aren't dark or light but more lifeless.

I've never felt so scared. "It's me, baby. I miss you. Come back to me."

I slowly caress his jaw where it spasms. His shaking hands move to my ass. "I was only twelve."

Tears escape my eyes at the startling realization of what he's telling me. He was just a boy—an innocent child.

He chokes out, "Lapa."

I force a smile and push his hair off his forehead. "Yeah. It's me. I love you. Come back to me."

"It's over. He's finally dead," he barely breathes.

I tug his head toward mine then press my lips to his, looking at his eyes, trying to see the warmth I'm used to, but it's not there. I kiss him again and again until he begins to kiss me back.

His hand tugs my hair, and his other palms my ass. Slowly, he begins flicking his tongue in my mouth, taking possession of me the way he always does.

Somewhere in that kiss, he unzips my dress and turns me against the middle mirror. He picks me up, and I wrap my legs around him, submitting to him as if it's second nature.

He slides my panties to the side and enters me in one thrust. As he fucks me against the mirror, he never takes his mouth off mine.

His thrusts are fast, needy, and as hungry as his kisses ravishing my mouth. I cling to him, whimpering in his mouth as his cock and mouth devour my body.

I begin to unravel, pressed against the glass. He detonates inside me, growling like a wild animal, then burying his head in the curve of my neck.

He doesn't release me. His chest heaves against mine.

"I love you," I whisper in his ear, not sure if he's out of his trance or not but trying to find him.

"I love you, too, lapa. Don't stop loving me, please."

I can't be sure if it's hot tears on my skin or his sweat.

"Look at me," I order him.

He slowly pulls his face away from my neck. His eyes are glassy, but I see life in them again, along with pain and fear.

"I will never stop loving you. Never."

He closes his eyes and presses his forehead against mine.

Somehow, I get him in his tux and down the aisle in time. I exchange a glance between Maksim and Dmitri, kiss him, then sit with Skylar off to the side where I can watch him. He stands between his brothers. They calmly talk to him, and to the outside world, Sergey's a demi-god in a tuxedo—a strong, gorgeous, dangerous man. But I still notice the tic in his jaw. It's not as bad as it was, but it occasionally starts to flare. And the little information he shared with me rips at my soul. I'm angry, heartbroken, and trying to piece everything together.

Boris comes out of the confessional, and the priest runs away green. A few minutes later, Father Antonio returns, and Darragh goes to get Nora.

By the time the ceremony is over, Sergey seems to be his usual self again.

"You're stunning, my lapa," he says, as if seeing me for the first time. His eyes are bright and have a smoldering look he always reserves for me.

We're around people all night. We eat, drink, and dance. Sergey laughs and holds me close to him. Or maybe it's me not leaving his side. Minus my ongoing worry about Sergey, everything is perfect, and the Ivanovs and O'Malleys all celebrate. Maksim makes a beautiful toast and ends it by saying, "To your beautiful future. Nostrovia."

We hold our glasses high in the air, and the room echoes in, "Nostrovia."

I take a sip then put my glass down.

Sergey tugs me closer to his body and leans into my ear. "You're my future, my lapa. We can have one now."

I pick my glass back up. "Nostrovia."